Julie Wilson Nimmo has revealed the unexpected inspiration behind Miss Hoolie’s famous hairstyle as Balamory prepares to return to television more than two decades after it first aired.
The actress, who played the much loved nursery teacher in the BBC children’s series, said the distinctive “Hoolie Hair” was inspired by the bold style of 1990s dance group Deee Lite and their lead singer Lady Miss Kier.
Nimmo told the BBC she had been fascinated by the New York band, whose colourful look and chart topping hit Groove Is in the Heart helped define early 1990s pop culture.
The influence eventually shaped the flicked hairstyle that became one of Miss Hoolie’s most recognisable features.
Speaking about the creation of the look, Nimmo said:
“I was very lucky to have input into what the hair was like and was obsessed with the band Deee-Lite at the time, young ones, Google them!
“The singer of the band was called Lady Kier, and she is super cool.
“She had a hairband and her hair went up in a flick, it was a look and so I asked for that, and they all said yes!”
The hairstyle quickly became part of the character’s identity as the colourful world of Balamory captured the imagination of young viewers across the UK.
But maintaining the famous flick required plenty of work behind the scenes.
Nimmo explained that before filming each scene her hair needed careful styling to create the distinctive shape.
She said:
“Before takes, I had two of the make-up girls with thick tongs pulling my hair down and curling it, to the point where people would say, ‘Is that a wig you’re wearing?’
“No, that was my own hair, getting tonged to death every single time.”
Despite the effort involved, Nimmo said the styling routine stayed hidden from the children who appeared in the show.
“We did it away from the kids because they always knew me in character.
“I’d be standing just off set getting curled to death, but that’s the price you pay for having an iconic hairdo.”
Balamory is set to return with brand new episodes this April on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, bringing the colourful island town and its familiar characters back to a new generation of young viewers.
